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I have a question about the verb "rake" in this sentence:

He raked his gaze over me.

What does it mean particularly in this sentence? And what does "over me" indicate here? Shouldn't it be "...his gaze at me"?
Appreciate the help!

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  • rake is often used with fingernails scratching the face, and so this figurative use might be intentionally summoning up those connotations. See: google.com/…
    – TimR on some device
    Commented Oct 5, 2023 at 12:56
  • "over" there means "from head to toe, across the length of my body".
    – TimR on some device
    Commented Oct 5, 2023 at 12:59
  • Do you know if it is the correct use of "rake"?
    – Iszhar
    Commented Oct 9, 2023 at 15:15
  • It is a metaphorical use of rake. An actual rake has pointy "fingers", and so to scratch someone's face with fingernails is not that different from using the garden tool. However, when looking a person's body over from head to toe ("ogling" them) is the action involved, there isn't such a clear and direct analogy. The gaze is the tool with sharp fingers.
    – TimR on some device
    Commented Oct 9, 2023 at 21:32
  • I wonder why author used such a figurative word instead of "run his gaze over me/her". That implies for me that the gaze would be sharp and unpleasant, but when I was reading this sentence in the book, I didn't get that feeling out of it. It felt simply like the action was just performed.
    – Iszhar
    Commented Oct 11, 2023 at 8:54

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It means that he thoroughly examined the breadth and length of me. The imagery has several components. First, a rake, as an implement, has many fingers that are spread wide. Second, in using a rake one often makes long strokes. Third, a rake’s sharp teeth disturb at least the top layers of the surface to which it is being applied. Together, these three components make the author’s image a rather unpleasant one of being eyed in an at least somewhat distressing manner.

And as for over vice at, the former makes much more sense considering rakes’ purpose, how raking is performed, and what raking accomplishes.

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    It seems to be a variation of more common idioms like "to run your gaze/eyes over someone/something". (Cambridge). It is intensified by the use of "rake" rather than "run" or "cast".
    – Stuart F
    Commented Oct 4, 2023 at 12:57

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